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Oilcloth makes a comeback
BY KATE COHEN
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Among the hazards of urban living are the inevitable spilled coffees, drive-by soakings, and unidentifiable substances sat upon on the MBTA. It’s a shame that more things don’t wipe clean as easily as oilcloth. Fortunately, the brightly colored fabric with a slick plastic coating is making a comeback, serving as a reminder of simpler times and as a repellent to modern-day city woes. Popular in the 1950s as a staple for everything from art-class desktops to book covers, oilcloth stuck around on the suburban circuit as Brownie troop leaders’ fabric of choice for the all-important (but never comfortable) "situpon." Luckily, the material has moved beyond covering seat cushions fashioned from newspapers and thick thread. Otro Lado is easily the area’s biggest seller of oilcloth goods, and its spacious new Central Square digs show the merch off well. Stay subtle with an eyeglass/cell-phone case ($8), lunch bag ($8), or a set of four double-sided place mats ($24). You can also do it up big with a shower curtain ($36) or apron ($18); the latter comes in adult and kid sizes. Oilcloth is often described as "tablecloth fabric," and that’s still one of its ideal uses. Otro Lado has a cornucopia of prints sold by the yard ($8). From loud flowers, vegetables, and fruits to simple red, purple, and blue checker, these prints can brighten up a kitchen and send it back to 1955. Serious textile shoppers can also head to Jo-Ann Stores for oilcloth by the yard ($3.99–$6.99/yard). One to two yards is usually enough for the typical kitchen table, and the stuff seems impervious to stains and heat. It stands to reason that baby bibs would be made out of it, too, and Black Ink’s Charles Street location sells double-sided bibs ($14.50) that look like they’re ready for battle. Thanks to the durability of the interwoven fabric, oilcloth also makes for excellent carrying vessels. Find Minimum Make’s zippered or snap-close clutch at Jasmine ($48), or a wood-basket-inspired purse ($42) at Black Ink. Buckaroo’s Mercantile and Otro Lado are the only stores in the area to sell the assortment of bags made by Boston’s own Calavera Design. The lot includes shoulder and messenger totes ($24–$28), cosmetic pouches ($8), and coin purses ($5). "They’ve been extremely popular," says designer Mari Scherer, who originally got the idea to make these oilcloth goods when she was working at a fabric store. Scherer’s versatility with the fabric is a dream for those who believe that when it comes to accessories, the brighter, the better. Where to find it: • Black Ink, 101 Charles Street, Boston, (617) 723-3883. • Buckaroo’s Mercantile, 1294 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, (617) 492-4792; www.buckmerc.com. • Jasmine, 329 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 437-8465; 35 Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 547-3173. • Jo-Ann Stores, various locations, (800) 525-4951; www.joann.com. • Otro Lado, 5 Brookline Street, Cambridge, (617) 354-1475.
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